Generally, Long-Range Land-to-Sea (LRLS) communication in 5 GHz unlicensed shared spectrum uses a Variable-Time-Slot Time Division Multiple Access (VTS-TDMA) method and an Automatic Repeat Request/Query (ARQ) error-control mechanism to set-up communication channels between a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) on land and Customer Premises Equipments (CPEs) in the sea or on ships. However, since the LRLS operates in the shared spectrum, quality of the channels connecting the BTS and the CPEs becomes dependent on usage of the shared spectrum by other entities such as end user devices. Also, due to increased usage of the shared spectrum in the 5 GHz hand and coexistence of other wireless entities/devices in the same frequency hand, the BTS and the CPEs are subjected to greater frequency interference. As a result, throughput and network utilization of the shared spectrum network is significantly reduced.
Further, Service Level Agreement (SLA) and quality maintenance issues may arise when the throughput of the channels drops below a threshold value, for example, 3 Mbps. The throughput may drop at smaller distances (i.e. at reduced cell edge) due to interference at the BTS and the CPEs. In such a scenario, it would be necessary to switch the channels and/or data-paths between the BTS and CPEs to an available Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) network to maintain the desired SLA. However, certain network entry/re-entry events may trigger the data-paths to switch back to the LRLS network from the VSAT network. This back-and-forth switching of the data-paths is most likely to result in “flapping” (ping-pong) effect and affects overall Quality of Experience (QoE) at the CPEs. Further, any interference at the BTS and CPEs may aggravate the flapping issue post switching of channels from the VSAT to the LRLS.
The information disclosed in this background of the disclosure section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.